Thursday morning was headed out to a dental appointment and decided to go ahead and open the chicken pens so they could free range.
Discovered a massacre in the Cochin pen....the three cockerels had been killed and carried off along with the old White hen Anna Belle, two Black hens and a Blue hen. Two young Black pullets were dead, one with a broken neck and one half eaten pulled thru the 2x4 wire fencing.
I was just sick! had to leave the pen the way it was until I got back home.
Not sure how the coyote got in and out of the pen, but there was more than one marauder. We found feathers in three different pastures.
I worked over the gate for that pen and think the coyote must have lifted the gate and clamps with the whole pipe...it was set over a t post and wired to the next pen. That has been fixed more securely.
Moved the remaining Cochin hens and one rooster to other pens for several nights now, setting out big snap traps around a carcass in hopes of nabbing at least one of the critters.
Our friendly BYC Okie coyote hunter was here early this morning. Don't know if he got one, but sure appreciate him coming.
Last month was war on the rats and mice using rat shot and TomCat poison in bird proof containers.
Now it is the coyotes.
That is horrible, I know that gut wrenching feeling! Hope you get the culprits.